csababubbles
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
- Messages
- 661
Here is a quick run-down on how I am able to run a 220 gallon full-blown reef tank for just a few bucks a month for electricity. Maybe some of you guys can use what I do to save some money.
Lighting: T5 fluorescent fixtures with individual reflectors and electronic ballasts. Approx 320 watts including ballast efficiency. 8 hours a day. After running 12 hr days for 4-5 years I cut back to 8 hrs and see no notable difference. Colors and growth are still excellent. Growth rate may have slown down but I see no visible difference. And even if I did it would be a good thing because then I could finally stop trimming every week. Tanks run out of space pretty quickly, so pushing growth is not always what its cracked up to be.
Circulation:
Return pump: 65 watts (900gph) Ocean Runner. No reason to get a big energy wasting return pump. OR are very efficient and cheap to boot.
Internal pumps: Six Tunze 6025 @ 1200 gph each @ 7 watts each = 42 watts for 7200 gph of internal circulation. Super efficient and move a lot of water.
Running kalk through my Tunze Osmolator, so it doubles up as an ATO as well the kalkwater addition mechanism. No need for stirrers or any kind of circulation pumps in kalk reservoir. Just mix it, cover it, and your set until you have to fill up again.
13 watt refugium light (CF from home depot)
Carbon and Phosphate reactors are both connected to my return piping so that I don't have to get additional pumps to run them, just using the return pump that is already in use. Just add a small ball valve so you can adjust the flow rate.
Heaters, I use none. My sumps are well insulated and have tops on them so this helps keep a lot of heat in. Most people run a couple of 200 watt heaters in a tank this size. On the other side, my tank never over heats because I have high efficient internal powerheads, a small return pump, and no additional pumps for the reactors, and no metal halides so I don't have to worry about adding fans to increase evaporation nor worry about needing a chiller.
Skimmer is a Tunze Master DOC needlewheel skimmer rated up to 1057 gallon. Runs of 46 watts!
So altogether I am running 150 watts continuously and 330 watts 8 hrs a day. Its like running a couple of extra light bulbs in the house. Costs just pennies a day.
Lighting: T5 fluorescent fixtures with individual reflectors and electronic ballasts. Approx 320 watts including ballast efficiency. 8 hours a day. After running 12 hr days for 4-5 years I cut back to 8 hrs and see no notable difference. Colors and growth are still excellent. Growth rate may have slown down but I see no visible difference. And even if I did it would be a good thing because then I could finally stop trimming every week. Tanks run out of space pretty quickly, so pushing growth is not always what its cracked up to be.
Circulation:
Return pump: 65 watts (900gph) Ocean Runner. No reason to get a big energy wasting return pump. OR are very efficient and cheap to boot.
Internal pumps: Six Tunze 6025 @ 1200 gph each @ 7 watts each = 42 watts for 7200 gph of internal circulation. Super efficient and move a lot of water.
Running kalk through my Tunze Osmolator, so it doubles up as an ATO as well the kalkwater addition mechanism. No need for stirrers or any kind of circulation pumps in kalk reservoir. Just mix it, cover it, and your set until you have to fill up again.
13 watt refugium light (CF from home depot)
Carbon and Phosphate reactors are both connected to my return piping so that I don't have to get additional pumps to run them, just using the return pump that is already in use. Just add a small ball valve so you can adjust the flow rate.
Heaters, I use none. My sumps are well insulated and have tops on them so this helps keep a lot of heat in. Most people run a couple of 200 watt heaters in a tank this size. On the other side, my tank never over heats because I have high efficient internal powerheads, a small return pump, and no additional pumps for the reactors, and no metal halides so I don't have to worry about adding fans to increase evaporation nor worry about needing a chiller.
Skimmer is a Tunze Master DOC needlewheel skimmer rated up to 1057 gallon. Runs of 46 watts!
So altogether I am running 150 watts continuously and 330 watts 8 hrs a day. Its like running a couple of extra light bulbs in the house. Costs just pennies a day.
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